TTCBCOAB, the Door Lane, and Seeing the Light

I work Saturdays, so weekends tend to be busy. Cramming all the chores into Sunday (and sometimes Monday) is a challenge, especially without using a car. Or is it? By riding a bike, parking is certainly easier. It's possible to (carefully) scoot past a long line of cars queued up at a stop sign or stop light. You arrive at your destination invigorated and in a better mood. And most importantly, you naturally avoid trying to do too much, getting in a rush, and becoming impatient with others. Perhaps life on a bike is generally better than life in a car.

TTCBCOAB #61, Four bags of groceries, new bike clothes

TTCBCOAB #62, Case of canned dog food, bag of kibble, biscuits

TTCBCOAB #63, Raised veggie bed fencing, donated by a friend

Bike Lane or Door Lane

Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda and other East Bay cities continue to add new facilities for cyclists. One of the easiest things cities can do is add sharrows: Pavement markings that alert drivers to the presence of bikes. Sometimes signs are added to remind drivers that bicycles may use an entire lane of traffic. In Oakland, several bike lanes are being augmented with a green stripe painted on the pavement to make the bike area clearer. This is good stuff, but there are complications.

Often the "sharrows"  and the green stripes are positioned to the right of the center of the lane, putting cyclists close to a row of parallel-parked cars. How much distance is required for a cyclist to avoid hitting a car door that is suddenly thrown open? After watching these two videos, you may think twice about assuming 3 feet of separation from parked cars is sufficient to "avoid the door." A word of warning, the second video is pretty startling.

Seeing the Light

One strategy for avoiding car doors and accidents in general is to use a flashing headlight, even during daylight hours. My commuter bike's dynamo-powered front and rear lights are on anytime my bike's wheels are turning, day or night. I supplement these steady-burning lights with flashing lights, front and rear. Countless times, the flashing front light has alerted drivers who were about to open their car doors and saved me from certain harm. And at least once a week, a pedestrian, driver, or another cyclist informs me "Hey, your lights are on!" My response varies from day-to-day, usually just a polite "Thank you," unless the person pointing it out is another cyclist. In that case I point out, "Hey, you don't have any lights!"


It may be very un-hip, but wearing bright colors like a florescent green, orange, or pink vest or jacket when riding is an easy way to reduce the risks associated with cycling. NHTSA and CDC have some good information on cycling safely and they both emphasize the importance of being visible.

So reducing cycling risks really be boiled down to four basic principles:

1. Wear a helmet
2. Be visible by using flashing lights and wearing bright clothing
3. Ride predictably and courteously
4. Stay alert and expect the unexpected

Connect the Cycling Dots

A hectic schedule makes it hard to maintain two blogs and I'm the first to admit I've fallen a bit behind, so here's a bit of a hodgepodge of cycling stuff. I sometimes fear this blog is beginning sound like Mr. Pither, the cyclist attempting a tour of North Cornwall in an old Monty Python episode. If you find cycling stuff boring, you can skip the rest of this post and just watch the clip below.

Sport-Utility Bike

My Yuba Mundo continues to see a lot of use: Trips to the grocery, Costco runs, and the occasional trip to PetVet to stock up on dog food and supplies. It's surprising how often an SUB can alleviate the perceived need for driving a car. Less CO2 output and more exercise. Think about it ...

Sierra Cycling

A mountain flying instructional flight, combined with the pilot's need to attend a meeting, meant I had a three plus hours to myself. Once again, I packed my Bike Friday Tikit and did some cycling around Lake Almanor. 

Tikit, secured in DA40 baggage area

Upon arrival, I discovered the rear fender had given up the ghost. The design is somewhat suspect: Two metal washers, sandwiched around a hole in the plastic fender, secure the rear of the fender to the Tikit's folding rack. A bit of pressure in the wrong place (such as when stuffing the bike into a cargo hold) and the plastic is broken. Luckily, I scrounged a bit of aviation safety wire from the kind folks at the FBO at Chester Rogers Field and managed a makeshift repair. With some pointers from the woman at the FBO, I elected to circumnavigate Lake Almanor starting out to the south.

No bubblegum required ...

Air Attack Helicopter

Wide shoulder/bike lane

Empty Spillway

Minimal/no bike lane on the East/North side of the lake

Rolling hills, less shade on the north side of lake

Entering Chester, CA

Arriving in Chester, I stopped for a double espresso and a cookie at the Coffee Station. Having had time to think about the routes I've cycled in SoCal, the California Central Coast, and now the northwest Sierra, the idea occurs to me that at some point I'd like to connect the dots. Cycling from the Bay Area to San Diego would be an interesting challenge. Of course, I'll need plenty of sandwiches, cheese, bananas, and of course, hardboiled eggs ...

TTCBCOAB #36 - Six Cubic Feet of Soil and a Gasoline-free Day!

Having committed to at least two gasoline-free days each week (Sunday and Monday, our days off) my wife and I went for a nice ride for breakfast at Venus. Cycling downtown Berkeley is so much easier and stress-free than driving, especially when it comes to finding parking. We just locked our bikes together, right in front and took a window-side table so we could keep an eye on things. I'm always in a better mood when I cycle because I can see and hear things (most of them good) that I'd otherwise miss in a car.

After breakfast, we swung by the North Branch of the library and then Five Star Video to return two DVDs. And then it was on to some gardening. Oh, that's right: We need to buy some soil to top off one of the vegetable beds. No worries, American Soil has good vegetable soil by the bag, but today was a "no gasoline" day. Well, time to test out the load carrying abilities of the Blue Ox (aka our Yuba Mundo cargo bike).

After deciding on a route involving the fewest hills, I made my way in leisurely fashion. It was a beautiful day with mostly clear skies and light westerly winds. Upon arriving at American Soil, the sales person estimated the weight of each 2 cubic foot bag to be 70 to 80 pounds. After paying, I headed to Area A to pick up my three bags of soil. Worst case scenario, this would total about 240 pounds. Even though the Yuba Mundo has a placard on the frame stating that the maximum load is 440 pounds (not including the rider), this would be the most weight I had ever attempted to carry on the Blue Ox.

Initially there were no employees to be found. They must have been helping other customers, so I located the pallet containing the bags of soil I'd purchased. Loading the Blue Ox turned into quite a balancing routine. I struggled and somehow managed to get one bag secured on the right side without the bike tipping to the right. The second bag was wrestled into the left pannier, which should have balanced things, but with the bike on its center stand it still had a mind of its own, tending to tip one way or the other. The third and last bag went on top of the wooden deck I created a while back. I thought that would have stabilized things, but it didn't. I was trying to figure out how I would get the two load binding straps around the bag on the top while holding the bike steady when an employee showed up and gave me a hand.

With the bags loaded, everything cinched in place, and my receipt verified I began the trip home. Whoah! The bike was a more unstable than I had anticipated. The third bag on the top of the rear rack put the center of gravity higher than optimal. Things were made worse by the lack of weight on the front rack: I just had my lock, cable and a water bottle in the front basket, so the steering was a bit squirrelly. And even though the other two bags were cinched low into the panniers, there was a tendency for the bike to start swinging and swaying like a pendulum. Oh well, too late to do much about it now.

Shifting my weight forward, I focused on pointing the Blue Ox straight and making every move as gently as possible. I tested the braking before I got onto the open road. The caliper brakes worked, but squeaked and complained mightily. It was clear I'd have to plan all my stops well in advance. Even hitting a bump or pothole started a  spooky sequence of shifting moments that were ... interesting. Not wanting to ponder a gasoline-powered solution, I leaned forward, pedaled with purpose and thought happy thoughts.

The reaction of drivers I encountered on the way home was, surprisingly, one of deference. They must have seen the bike was heavily loaded and a bit hard to control. Everyone I encountered was civil and several drivers waved me ahead so I could avoid stopping. The few turns I had to negotiate were done slowly and with great care. The few times I had to start from a dead stop proved a challenge until the wheels got spinning fast enough to add stability.

Arriving at home, I unloaded before taking a picture since the Blue Ox wanted tip off the center stand with the slightest provocation. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! Here are some the results of our labors, done the old-fashioned way, sans gasoline!

Potatoes go here ...

Tomatoes and marigolds ...

TTCBCOAB #28 - Costco Run

On my way to Costco I run into my former student and friend, Todd. After explaining the mission, he elects to come along on his mountain bike. Off we go and he leaves me in a cloud of dust. With a bit of huffing and puffing, my cargo bike (aka the Blue Ox) is eventually coaxed into keeping up with him. After all, my cargo bike is empty at the moment and one's fragile, male ego must be protected!

A quick trip through the various aisles and all the necessary stuff has been collected (in no particular order) - box of Cliff Bars, jug of dishwashing detergent, two boxes of 8.5x11 printer paper, mouthwash, two bottles of maple syrup, and a post-apocalyptic supply of toilet paper. Loading up the Mundo, two dudes walk by: "F-ing awesome, man! You kick ass!" Indeed, but I'm more worried about the effects of gravity kicking my ass when I must climb Solano Avenue.

The ride home is a bit slower than the trip out, but there is a tailwind. Thanks to Todd for the fancy iPhone video work!

TTCBCOAB #20

Things That Can Be Carried On A Bicycle: Two sets of slightly used mountain bike tires, two used bottom brackets, a crankset, a seat post, the old saddle that came with my used Mundo Yuba, and some assorted bike hardware. A quick trip down to Street Level Cycles/Waterside Workshops (at Berkeley's Aquatic Park) and all of this was donated (tax-deductible, no less!) and should be put to good use.

Things that can be carried on a bicycle #18

Door-to-door delivery

Taking a page from Joe George's blog, here's one example of TTCBCOAB (things that can be carried on a bike): Four bags of groceries, mostly fruits and vegetables, total weight - 42 lbs. A far cry from the Mundo's stated max load of 440 lbs. Added advantage - much easier to find parking at Monterey Market with a bike compared to a car.

Plenty of room left. Should've bought more?

More Mundo Upgrades

The beauty of a cargo bike is that you can carry most anything you need. I've carried, on separate occasions: four full bags of groceries (about 90 pounds), 24 cans of dog food, two 14 pound bags of dog food, a dozen or so vegetable plantings, and so on. On recreational rides with my spouse, the heavy weight of the Yuba Mundo makes me a better (slower) riding companion. When possible, we've taken to devoting ourselves to making Sundays a gasoline-free day - no car, just transportation by bike or by shanks mare. And I continue to enjoy tinkering and modifying the Mundo, too.

A cargo deck for the Mundo's rear rack was something I wanted from the start, but the current bamboo cargo deck sold by Yuba won't work with the version 1 frame I have. A brief web search uncovered Joe George's post describing how he created a cargo deck for his Mundo. I decided to create something a bit lighter.

Started with 1/4" marine-grade plywood

A bit of cutting, shaping, sanding, and fiddling was required. After finalizing the dimensions, a light, honey-colored stain was added and then two coats of polyurethane satin varnish, with some sanding in between.

I decided to attach the deck using p-shaped clamps.

Finished product

The next issue to be tackled was the seat post. You see, about 12 years ago I underwent lower back surgery to remove a L5/S1 free disk fragment. The surgery was very successful and cycling doesn't generally bother my back, but the Mundo's more upright riding position was proving problematic. Shocks and bumps were being transmitted more directly through my spine, resulting in back soreness. More investigation and research uncovered the Cane Creek Thudbuster seat post. Designed for hard-tail mountain bikes, the shorter travel Thudbuster ST seat post seemed to be good solution. I opted for the 27.2mm diameter version in the longer, 400mm version. This required a shim since the Mundo's seat tube diameter is approximately 30.3mm, but have no fear: Thudbuster.com has shims, too. Installation was simple and the results? No more sore back.

The original 6-speed drivetrain, while geared with a pretty low gear, was inadequate for carrying 100-plus pounds of cargo up the rolling hills of North Berkeley. So I acquired a SRAM triple-crank, clamp-on front derailleur, and shifter. Yet without a braze-on cable stop for a front derailleur, another solution was needed. Enter the ProblemSolver clamp-on cable stop.

Rear view

Front view

The last bit of customization, at least so far, was the addition of a whimsical decal. You see, I'd nicknamed this bike and for less than $12 (including shipping), Do it Yourself Lettering allowed me to ... well ...

Getting Serious About Energy

Over the past two years I've been gradually decreasing the time spent in a car and increasing the amount of time spent on a bicycle. Commuting to my work by bicycle started gradually, first combining cycling with BART, then gradually working to just the bike. So it was just a matter of time before the idea of a cargo bike would begin to take hold. A visit to some local bike shops and some research revealed a few basic choices - Xtracyle Radish, Surly Big Dummy, and Yuba Mundo. Further research indicated that the purchase of a new bike would be beyond the modest financial means of a professional flight instructor. Then a bit of luck came into play - a used Yuba Mundo became available.

Arriving home, courtesy of the very capable Yakima KingJoe Pro 2.

Probably the version 1 Mundo frame.

This early version of the Mundo doesn't have all the features of the latest, version 4. Six speeds instead of 21, no disc brake braze-ons, no braze-ons for a front derailleur, no provisions for mounting some of the other accessories currently available. The first step was a bit of cleaning, polishing, and general TLC.

Both inner tubes had been mounted improperly and the valve stems were chaffed and worn. While replacing the front tube, I removed a handful of gravel from between the old tube and the tire - WTF! The rear tire had been installed with the tread oriented opposite the intended direction of rotation. The Kendra tires are heavy, but still they have plenty of life still in them. The chain was rusted and mostly devoid of lubrication. The headset needed lubing and tightening. With those chores done, it was time for some short, local rides to assess and plan.

Old Seat - not my cup of tea!

Some breaking-in required ...

Clunky ...

Better ...

One feature of the new Mundo frames is a spring device they've dubbed the "defloppinator" which keeps the front wheel from, well, flopping from side to side. Yuba's defloppinator sells for just over $20. My version? About $3.

Not as slick as the factory version, but quite serviceable and useful.

Front and rear 60mm fenders.

Sefras Thunderbolt LED light - USB recharging, 9 hour life, and very bright.

Some tweaking of the rear fender was necessary

Some more upgrades are in the works, but until then I've been using the bike for the purpose for which it was intended - Hauling stuff. A trip for groceries and soon I was pedaling home with about 80 pounds of grub, a mere fraction of the Mundo's 440 pound capacity. With the cargo bags loaded, the bike was surprisingly stable.

All of the tweaks and mods are great fun, but not as fun as riding a cargo bike. It's a different kind of cycling. Slower, but with a purpose and without fossil fuel.

Taking shape, bit by bit.